The Leggings Debate Reignited After Airline Makes Two Young Passengers Change Before Boarding

Young girls wearing leggings and yoga pants have drawn controversy in the past when singled out as violating school dress codes. Now an airline has raised eyebrows after denying entry on a flight to two young girls wearing the popular clothing trend. A passenger who witnessed the girls’ ordeal at the gate took to her Twitter to spread the word of what she believed was unfair treatment.

Today reports about United’s dress code that required two young passengers to wear dresses over their leggings in an effort to cover up. The girls, who were flying from Denver to Minneapolis, were told they could not board the flight in spandex leggings and would have to either stay in Denver, change their pants or cover up with a dress.

When fellow passenger and mother of five Shannon Watts saw what was going on she immediately began tweeting @United regarding the situation. United was quick to respond and said that since the two passengers in question were “pass riders” (meaning they are relatives of United employees) they would have to follow a more strict dress code than regular passengers. The two girls who were supposedly violating the dress code did end up covering up with dresses and boarded the plane.

Even with United’s explanation, Watts was still not convinced that the girls were dressed inappropriately and believes they were being unfairly treated as women. After learning the dress code for “pass riders” Watts tweeted, “A 10-year-old girl in gray leggings. She looked normal and appropriate. Apparently @united is policing the clothing of women and girls.” She later explained to NBC why this particular situation made her speak up. She said, “I have five kids: four of them are women. They wear yoga pants all of the time when flying. As a Premiere United flier, I think this policy is arbitrary and sexist. It singles out women for their clothing and sexualizes little girls.”

What do you think of United’s policy banning “pass riders” from wearing leggings and yoga pants?

Do you think this was fair since the children were "pass riders"?

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I heard about this. I find it ridiculous how an Airline can all the sudden tell us what to wear. What's next? Are they going to tell us how we should think too?! Those girls should be free to wear what they want. If the employee losses their job because of something the employee did, their relative (those girls) are still passengers even if the employee losses their job. I honestly think the airline is overrated on that rule.

I don't understand how an airline has the right to dictate what people can wear, if a male was wearing something similar they probably wouldn't be told to change, but since they were female they were told that their clothes weren't appropriate (I'm guessing) when they were wearing them to be comfortable on a flight which everyone wants. It's unfair and wrong, and for this to be happening in one of the most developed countries in such a politically correct society is odd.

I don't understand how an airline has the right to dictate what people can wear, if a male was wearing something similar they probably wouldn't be told to change, but since they were female they were told that their clothes weren't appropriate (I'm guessing) when they were wearing them to be comfortable on a flight which everyone wants. It's unfair and wrong, and for this to be happening in one of the most developed countries in such a politically correct society is odd.